Pistol grip for cameras



March '22, 1927. r ,903

w. F. ROSSITER PISTOL GRIP FOR CAMERAS Filed Dec. 50, 1924 jigi,

ll I 71/ V z x L1; 7 E r "22 5E Z3 Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

1321,903 PATENT OFFICE.

WAYNE I. BOSSITEB, OF VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA.

PISTOL GRIP FOR CAMERAS.

Application filed December 80, 1924. Serial 170. 758,884.

The present invention appertains to a device for supporting a camera and has for its prime object to provide such a device which can be grasped in one hand so that the camera may be pro erly alined with the oblect to be photograp ed very easily and quic ly, the device being particularly designed for taking snapshots.

Another very im ortant object of the invention is to provi e a support of this nature having means incorporated therein for operating the shutter mechanism of the camera.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this nature for effectively holding the camera thereon. 7

Another very im ortant object of the invention is to provi e a device of this nature having an exceedingly simple and efiicient structure, one which is reliable in operation,

inexpensive to manufacture, compact, light, strong, durable and well ada ted to the purpose for which it is designs With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and in 7 the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully designed and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the device embodymg the features of my invention showing a camera supported thereon,

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device, said view being slightly enlarged with the handle portion broken ofi,

Figure 3 is a transverse section through the handle looking downwardly on line 3' 3 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical section through the devlce showing a portion of the handle broken ofi,

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are transverse sections taken through the body of the device substantially on the lines 5-5, 66, and 77 respectively of Figure 4 looking in the direction of the respective arrows,

Figure 8 is a detail section taken vertically through the handle showing another manner of supporting a camera on the device,

Fi e 9 is a detail rspeotive view of the 0 amp plate used in igure 8,

Figure 10 is an elevation of a coupling device used at times with my device, and

Figure 11 is a transverse section taken therethrough substantially on the line 11-11 of Fi re'10.

Re erring to the drawin in detail it will be seen that A designates the improved supporting device generally and O the camera thereon. My improved supporting device is formed to simulate in appearance and contour a pistol and includes the handle 5 and body B. This body B is formed in two sections 6 and 7 the former being integral with the handle and the latter held thereon by means of screws or the like 8. The manner of sectioning the body or the device has merely been disclosed herein by way of example and, of course, may be varied considerably without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. In the embodiment of the invention which I have disclosed in the drawing the sections 6 and 7 of the body B are provided with trigger compartments 9 having the tri ger lever 10 pivoted on a pin 11 interme 'ate its ends. The finger engaging portion of this trigger lever 10 depends below the body. A bore 12 is provided in the body for slidably receiving a plunger rod '13 the rear end of which is provided with an angular extension 14 movable in the comartment 9 and engageable by a nose extension 15 on the inner or upper end of the trigger lever 10. A recess 17 is provided in the body communicating with the forward end of the compartment 9. A coil spring 18 has one end normally disposed Within this pocket 17 while its other end is normally disposed about a pin 19 projectin forwardly from the extension 14 of the piilnger rod 13. When the trigger 10 is actuated to the dotted line position shown in Figure 4 the plunger 13 is moved forwardly to the dotted line position shown in the same figure at which time it will be seen that the coil spring 18'will be compressed and the pin 19 located in the pocket 17 so that when the trigger lever is released said spring will return the plunger rod and the trigger back to their original posltions' as shown in full lines in Figure 4. At the forward end of the body a recess 20 is provided in alinement with the bore 12 and a band 21 is disposed about the forward end of the body and sha ed to fit partly into the recess large number of conventional cameras ,now

found on the market and includes the plunger operating wire 24 the end of which is placed in abutment with the end of the plunger rod 13. When the handle 22- is thus situated it will be seen that as the trigger lever 10 is actuated as previously described to move the plunger 13 that said plunger 13 will in turn actuate the plunger wire 24 so as to operate the shutter of the camera.

In some forms of cameras the shutter actuating cord 23 will not be long enou 11 so that its handle 22 may be situated in t 1e recess and I therefore utilize an independent actuating cord of the same type situating its hand e in the recess and terminating itswire 25 in a cou l'ng device indi- 'cated generally at 26 in igure 10. This coupling device consists of a plate 27 having upstanding end apertured ears 28 and 29 and'alon its longitudinal ed es with upstandingc amp jaws 30 which. old the handle 22 of the camera in place, the cord 23 passing through the apertured ear 28. The wire 25 passes throu h the other apertured car '29 and abuts or 18 situated in close proximity to the terminal of the wire 24 so as to actuate this wire 24 and operate the shutter in a manner which will be quite clear to those familiar with this form of shutter operating mechanism. 7

Particular attention is now called to, the construction of the handle 5 which is rovided with a longitudinally extending re 31 of the same length as the handle and another longitudinally extendin bore .32 beginning at the top of the handle and terminat'uig intermediate its ends. In the bore 32, i desired, an internally threaded sleeve 33 may be (provided or the bore itself ma be provide with internal threads depen ing, of course, on the material from which the handle is manufactured or the manner in which it is manufactured. .In Figure 1 it will 'be seen that a bolt 34 is disposed in the bore 31 with the head at the bottom of the handle and the threaded shank extending above the handle so as to be engaged by that portion of the camera which is usually engaged by the tripod su port which is furnished with a lar e num er of cameras but can be purchased or the use of a large num- I .ber of cameras. There are, however, a large number of cameras having no such enga ing means and in such the cameras may fie sup orted as is shown in Figure 8 whereby the It 34 is engaged in the threaded sleeve 33 of bore 32 with its head extending a con siderable distance above the upper portion of the device and bearingagainst a clamp plate 35 which in turn en ages the upper portion of the camera to hold it firml rested u the body of the device. This c am ing p to 35 preferably includes a body 36 avng the angular extension 37 depending from one end'and the curved engaging lip' 38 exthe invention will be clearly understood without a more detail descriptions lt 'will be apparent from the foregoingthat I have devised a novel construction of camera holder, which will be cheaply manufactured and will be durable and elfective under all conditions, and which is not liable to readily et out of order. The device embodies the eatures of advantage enumerated as desir-' able in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have in the present instance shown and described a referred embodiment of it which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A device of the class described including a body, a'trig r lever pivoted in the body, a plunger s11 able in the body and .0 erable b the trigger lever, a spring in t e body ho ding the plunger rod in a retracted position, said body provided'with a recess registerin with the plan r rod for supporting e handle 0 a g utter actuating means for a camera so as to be operable by the plunger when moved by the trigger lever, and a spring for normally hol ing the plunger in an inactive position.

2. A device of the class described includ-' in a body and a handle, said body rovi ed with a trigger compartment, a re extending forward y from the trigger compartment, a plunger in the bore, a tri ger in the compartment for actuating the p unger, a spring for holding the plunger normally in an inactive position said body provided with a recess communicating withthe forward end of the bore for receiving the camera.

3. A device of the class described including a body and a handle, said body provided the angular extension, a pocket for the re-.

ception of the pin, a coil spring having one d situated in the pocket and the other end handle of a shutter actuating member of the v about the pin to normally hold the plunger in a retracted or inactive position, said recess adapted to hold the handle of a shutter fr operating means for a camera in order to be actuated by the plunger when'extended forwardly into the recess by operation of the trigger lever.

4. A device of the class described including a body and a handle, said handle including a bore extending longitudinally through its entire length and a second bore extending om its upper -'end to an intermediate portion and internally threaded, a bolt for association with the two bores, and means in the body for actuating the shutter operating means of a camera.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WAYNE F. ROSSITER. 

